I don’t call myself a photographer. I make it clear to folks that I am a “picture taker.” My definition of a photographer is one who composes an image through a viewfinder choosing the perfect combination of settings such as apertures (f-stops) and shutter speeds. I’m not that person. My camera is generally set on auto and my good photographs are complete accidents. I shoot at random and then when I get back to my computer (or these days my ipad) and download the images, I pick the ones I like.

I’m looking at one right now that I like a lot. It’s a wild sunflower growing in my garden. I was out there to capture my newly exploding Crinums and just added it to the day’s shots. When it appeared on my computer screen, it was magical. There was a tiny fly of some sort perfectly placed to break the yellow of the petals and a neatly placed unopened bloom that made for a nice composition.

Did I “photograph” this as in “make a conscious decision to create this image”? No way. But did the image “connect me to my world”? Yep. So does this prove I am really a photographer? I don’t think so. I’ll stand by my own definition. It might mean, however, that I have the soul of a photographer if not the skills.